Carton structure



Dec. 15, 1953 L. J. ROBINS 2,662,684 1 CARTON STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26,1950 NVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTON STRUCTURELeonard J. Robins, Chicago, 111., assignor to Add- A-Handle Corporation,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 3 Claims.

v This invention relates to cartons or containers formed of fiberboard,pasteboard, cardboard, or other treated or untreated sheet stock ofplastic or fibrous materials. It relates more particularly to a cartonor container from which a carrying handle may be struck from thematerials that "make up the carton walls whereby the contents of thecarton are exposed for display purposes and an economical and practicalmeans is provided for carrying the carton about.

Handle members, which may be struck from the material forming the cartonwalls, have the advantage that they are always properly positioned anddo not require the use of an auxiliary part which must be supplied withthe carton and inserted into a position of use when the occasion arises.In the past, constructions of this type have been objectionable for thereason that the carton becomes deformed and unsightly when the handleportion is raised and the raising of the handle usually leaves variousparts of the car- 'ton in weakened condition whereby separation andtearing often occur in use. Most of the constructions of this type whichhave been provided in the past have failed to provide means forfacilitating the lifting of the handle portion from thebody of thecarton such that difficulties have been experienced in effecting sameand not infrequently special tools have been required for avoidinginjury to the finger.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton having walls fromwhich a suitable handle may be struck to expose the contents withoutweakening the structure of the carton, while the handle has sufficientstrength and is able to distribute the forces in a manner which permitsits use with heavy loads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carton having wallsfrom which a handle may be struck in a simple and expeditious mannerwithout the use of special tools or without injury to the finger.

A further object is to produce a carton having walls from which a handlemay be struck in a manner to provide a full gripping relation for thehand to enhance the comfort and ease of carrying.

A still-further objectis to provide a carton having walls from which ahandle may be struck to expose a considerable portion of the contents ofthe carton and which is held in the raised position as an incidence tothe forces developed upon striking.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not oflimitation, an embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich,

Figure l is a perspective View of a completed carton embodying featuresof this invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same carton shown in Figure 1, butwith the handle portion struck from the carton walls and arranged incarrying position,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the carton shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of one end wall of the cartonshown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 ofFigure .2,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational end view of the carton shown inFigure 1 with the parts arranged in position of use for carrying.

Cartons which may be manufactured to embody features of this inventionare preferably formed of sheet material, such as fiberboard, pasteboard,paperboard, cardboard, .or treated or untreated sheet stock of plasticor other fibrous materials. The sheet stock may be prepared as by deepscoring, by perforations or the like, before or after assembly into acarton to outline the material to be struck from the carton walls informing the handle portion which will hereinafter be described.

As shown in the drawing, the carton Hi has top and bottom walls H andi2, end walls 13 and Hi and side walls i5 and I6, respectively. In itsassembled relation with specific content material therein, such ascanned goods I! andthe like, the walls formed by adhesively joined endflaps and side flaps arranged .in overlapping relationship are disposedto form the side walls 15 and of the completed carton, leaving thecontinuous walls to form the top wall and end walls i i, 53, and Mrespectively from which the handle member is struck. By thisarrangement, a predetermined position is established for these parts inthe carton.

The handle portion, as outlined by perforations l8 or the like in therespective walls, comprises an elongate strap it which extends across-amidportion of the top wall H and terminates, as at 2B, in the upperportions :of the adjacent end walls [3 and M. Although the :strap :maybe of equal width throughout, new and novel results are secured when thestrap is arranged to decrease in width from the terminal ends 26 in theend walls to a central portion 2| in the top wall, thereby to provideelongate trapezoidal end sections 22 and 23 respectively.

In order to provide a better and more comfortable grip for carrying,flap sections 24 and 25 are provided in the top wall I l integral withthe lateral edges of the central portion 2|. The flaps extend laterallyto the side walls and It. The material may be scored as at 26 along thelateral edges of the central portion 2| to facilitate folding the handleflaps upwardly when the handle portion has been struck, to provide abetter gripping relation for the hand and to expose a greater portion ofthe contents of the carton, as shown in Figure 2.

Another important feature of this invention resides in the constructionwherein tabs 21 defined by perforations depend from the flaps 24 and andare arranged as a part of the side walls 15 and 16 respectively.

When so constructed, little difficulty is experienced in striking orlifting the handle member from the wall portions as described. It isonly necessary to press inwardly on the tabs 21 to efiect theirseparation from the remainder of the side walls and when this isaccomplished, access is provided for application of leverage suitablefor tearing the flaps and the connected strap from the top and end wallsto separate the parts for their arrangement into carrying relation. Aspreviously pointed out, the flaps 24 and 25 may be folded up alongscored lines to complete the operation.

It will be apparent that the decreasing width of the straps and thetermination of the strap in the end walls will provide a novelrelationship wherein end portions of the strap will be disposed withinthe carton for a short distance, such that the width of the strapportion where it passes through the opening formed in the top wall willbe of greater dimension than the corresponding opening, thereby toestablish a gripping relation which functions to hold the handle in itsraised position, as shown in Figure 2. It will be apparent that, whilein this position, ample space is provided below the central portion forready insertion of the hand such that the central portion maycomfortably rest on the fingers or on the bottom of the hand while otherportions of the hand may rest against the upturned flaps.

It will be further evident that a construction of the type describedwill enable portions of the strap to rest upon the cans or othermaterial filling the carton to accept some of the load at points on thestrap where it is better able to carry the load. This reaction reducesthe strain at weaker points such that tearing or breaking of the handlemember is at a minimum. It is advisable to use gradual tapers androunded corners in the construction of the strap to militate against thepresence of points where loads may concentrate and weaken the structure.

By way of modification, it will be evident that the flaps need notconstitute the solid section described, but may comprise slottedportions or strips which extend from the tabs to the strap fortransmitting forces by which the strap is struck from the containerwalls.

It will be understood that the described arrangement which provides fornovel features in the construction of the strap, flaps and tabs, eachconstitute patentable features of this invention when taken separatelyor together. By way of 4 modification, it will be further understoodthat numerous changes may be made in the details of construction andarrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention,especially as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton having top and bottom walls, side walls and end walls fromwhich a handle may be struck to expose the contents and provide meansfor carrying the carton the handle por tion forming an integral part ofthe carton walls from which it is separable along weakened areasdefining a strap which extends across a mid portion of the top wall andterminates in the upper portions of adjacent end walls, the end portionsof the strap gradually decreasing in width from the terminal endsdisposed in the end walls to a central portion of the top wall wherebythe portion projecting through slots in the top wall when the strap isstruck therefrom is of greater width than the formed slot to effect agripping relation, flaps integral with the edges of the central sectionand extending laterally therefrom to the edges of the top wall, and tabsdepending from the edges of the flaps to form adjacent portions or" theside walls and capable of being struck therefrom for folding with theflaps to extend irom the central section in the upward direction when inposition of use.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1 in which the weakened areas in thecarton walls comprise perforations along which the defined handleportion may be struck from the carton walls.

3. A carton having top and bottom walls, side walls and end walls fromwhich a handle may be struck to expose the contents and provide meansfor carrying the carton, the handle portion forming an integral part ofthe carton walls and separable therefrom along lines defining anelongate strap which extends across a mid-portion of the top wall andterminates in the upper portion of adjacent end walls, the strapgradually decreasing in width from between the ends in the end walls toa central portion in the top wall, and flaps integral with the centralportion of the strap and extending laterally therefrom to the edge ofthe top-wall to provide a more substantial grip when struck with thestrap from the top wall of the carton and folded to extend upwardlytherefrom when in position of use.

LEONARD J. ROBINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 893,616 Ferres July 21, 1908 1,974,792 Berney Sept. 25, 19342,289,824 Brogden July 14, 1942 2,289,859 Arthur July 14, 1942 2,359,298Brogden 1- Oct. 3, 1944 2,364,489 Guyer Dec. 5, 1944 2,382,844 ArnesonAug. 14, 1945 2,473,492 Shina June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberCountry Date 439,625 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1935 549,188 Great BritainNov. 10, 1942

